Fallout (What If)
by KingsFall7
Summary: What if the Great War took place during the Cold War (mid-late 50's)? What would the post-nuclear wasteland be like? Warning!: The following may contain controversial or sensitive topics. Reader discretion advised.
1. Prologue

**These are three reasons why the great war takes place between 1955-1958, these are why:**

**The pre-war theme is from the 1950's.**

**The Red Scare was in full effect currently.**

**During the Korean War, US/UN General McArthur requested to keep use nuclear weapons, President Eisenhower denied his request and fired him. However other members of the White House, Congress, and the Pentagon agreed with McArthur believing a victory over communism.**

**What if these individuals help steal the nukes he planned to use?**

Prologue:

March 3, 1953: General Douglas McArthur and some loyal soldiers, steal 50 nuclear bombs and a dozen aircraft, their plan is to bomb the Chinese/North Korea border to win the war and the cripple the Red Chinese. The plan worked, the war in Korea was one. However north eastern China and North Korea became nuclear wastes and rather than be demoralized the USSR and China declare war on the United States and its allies of Japan and South Korea. McArthur was declared enemy number one and went into hiding the people who helped him steal the nukes left him to the wolves alone.

March 5 -13, 1953: Soviet Chinese and American Naval fleets multiple battles in the pacific and Philippines, while the Red Army crossed the Iron Curtain in Europe, attaching US controlled Berlin, Britain and France ally with America. The British join after the Soviets invade their territory and France feared an invasion. Meanwhile, the US government prepare for the possible nuclear war. World War three has begun.

March 21, 1953: Soviet Russia and their allies officially leave the United Nations, for its more powerful countries have allied with America.

The Soviets had massive army and industrial complex building tanks making guns, and explosives, making them masters of land warfare but the UK and the US had control of sea and with their fleets and fighter planes. These caused the stale mates in some areas like Germany.

In mainland USA, 'Project Safe House' began. After the Korean Bombing the US government began to fear a possible nuclear war. The funding and creation of underground fallout shelters or "Vaults". They would be stocked with enough food, tools, and other necessities to last for decades. The goal was to preserve the American culture, underground. The four thousand chosen people that would live in these vaults safe and secure.

September 1- October 12, 1953: The Soviet Union's asset was its industrial complex; building vast amounts of weapons, ammo, and vehicles out of their factories. They also built long range missiles and other weapons from schematics stolen from Germany after WW2. All this machinery needed large amounts of fuel to function, and so the Red Army invaded Turkey and Persia to claim the precious black gold underground: oil.

For more than a month, the USSR has spread its forces to combat the US and its allies across Europe and Asia. However, in reinforcing one front, the Soviets leave another open for attack.

October 15, 1953: The US launch an air/naval invasion of the Sea of Okhotsk (a gulf on the east coast of Russian), they capture the ports of Khabarovsk, Sakhalin Island, and Magadan. This allowed platoons and armed convoys passage into Siberia and Northeastern China, as well as weakening the Soviet naval strength in the Pacific Ocean. By the end of the year, world war has consumed Europe, Asia, and the Southwest Pacific.

1954: The US Armed Forces introduced a new and dangerous weapon on the frontlines; the "Davy Crocket" miniature nuclear warhead launcher. Named after the war hero from the Texas Revolution, this was miniaturized version of a nuclear missile. However, it didn't cause the same amount of destruction as a full-sized atom bomb, but its blast radius and the lethal amounts of radiation it releases, will devastate any enemy fortification it hits. This new piece of artillery allowed the UN (America, Britain, France, and their ally countries) forces to drive the Red Army out of Germany and invade Poland and Czechoslovakia.

Back in the mainland USA, construction on the Vaults continues, as over four thousand people across the country are chosen by Vault-Tec (the heads of the project). Scientists, engineers, and common folks live underground should the world end. The war rages on throughout the year, on some battlefields, large stale mates happen where the two sides are matched by man/fire power, vehicles and supplies.

January 4, 1955: The T-45 Combat Infantry Armor, or Power Armor, is deployed on the frontlines. This gasoline powered (not nuclear), wearable tank was designed to give soldiers extra strength and protection; this gave great protection in heavy combat zones to the pilot, with little too no harm from bullets, shrapnel, and debris. The helmet also had filters to keep out dust and harmful chemicals in the air. However, the suit had many flaws; the armor was heavy, slow, and would burn its fuel within a few hours. Some of the components were also exposed, due to limited time of design and construction. The high price tag was also an issue and T-45 series saw limited use in combat, mainly during heavy fire fight situations and breaking enemy fortifications. It played major parts in the Battles of Warsaw (February 1) and Shanghai (February 7) in taking the cities from the Communist forces, as well as the defense of British controlled Hong Kong (February 15). The advantage turned toward the UN, however the US refuse to share the Power Armor tech with its allies, because of tensions and distrust from MacArthur's actions in Korea.

March 11, 1955: The Soviets invade Alaska, this strategy was to put America on the defensive and claim the oil reserves there. However, around the same time the UN captured Poland and invaded the Baltic regions. The Red Army was prepared though, Russia's reserved battalions fortified the cities and, reinforced by survivors from Poland and East Germany, set up defensive points and artillery nests along the roads, bridges, and foothills. They halted the UN push and not even the Power Armor units could fully break through the defense.

March 12- December 25,1955 as the war raged on the fear of a Soviet bio-attack grew. An anti- bioweapons program began, just as well, an outbreak of an unknown plague has begun to spread along the American east coast.

On the frontlines, the next series of power armor was introduced. This new design was an improvement over the T-45 series, the T-51. All the components are protected within the titanium (not steel) plating, it was stronger and lighter giving the wearer more protection and mobility. This new armor helped break the Chinese defense at the Battle of Beijing (January 13). The Red Chinese suffered from heavy loss, while the Americans lost few lives.

With so much money and resources being used in the war, there were food, water and power shortages all over the US. Riots and protests broke out all over the country. T-45 suits that were replaced by the T-51's, were given to MP's. Hundreds of civilians were killed and many more were arrested without trial. This would continue for months.

March 13, 1956: China surrenders after losing Beijing. Now the allies can attack Russia on two fronts – west and east.

September 3, 1956: Extensive testing on animals with the 'P.I.V.', Pan-Immunity Virion revealed not only immunity to disease, but also ballistic damage, toxins as well as increased strength and intelligence. The military took research from West-Tec, the main researchers and the company who designed the power, after learning of the success. The project was renamed the F.F.V forced evolution Virus and all research was moved to Mariposa Military Base from the West-Tec HQ. Now the US government would build super soldiers.

1957 – As the war reaches its climax, the soviets grow desperate. They're losing multiple fronts and lost millions of soldiers each day. Their greatest remaining as set and resources is their industrial complexes, however the materials for their machinery were beginning to dwindle.

Soviet scientists began motiving their long-range missiles with nuclear warheads and increased nuke production, in case they were needed

1958: two new weapons were built in Boston, Massachusetts. The Fat Man and the T 60 Power Armor. The "Fat Man" mini nuke launcher was a handheld version of the Davy Crocket launcher; an entire stockpile of Fat Man launchers and shells were stored at Fort Strong military base waiting to be shipped and deployed in Europe.

The T-60 Power Armor was the most powerful suit built yet. It contributes of the T-45 and T-51 and it was stronger and faster than the earlier versions. Numerous suits of T-60 were stored at multiple military bases across Massachusetts, for further testing.

October 17,1958: Captain Roger Maxson had formerly deserted the US army along with his men after learning that the scientists at Mariposa base were experimenting on civilians. After killing the scientists and stealing all the weapons power armor and supplies the soldiers and their families fled into the desert.

October 23, 1958: No one knows who fired first, but it didn't matter. The world came to an end, the northern hemisphere was swallowed in a storm of nuclear fire. American bombs and Russian fell on each other civilization was wiped out in a span of two hours.


	2. Chapter 1: 76 Story

" **War, war never changes. In 1776, this great nation accepted that armed conflict was the only way to preserve our rights, our liberty, and our pursuit of happiness. If only our forefathers could see us now. From Gettesburg to Normandy, too Korea- we have fought. And now, the Red Menace is at our doorstep, Democracy itself is threatened with annihilation. **

**That is why today; July 4, 1958, as war ravages the world, we are proud to announce the unveiling of the Vaults, sprawling underground shelters, where the American people and way of life will live and thrive. For when the end comes… there shall be a future."- Vault Tec Spokesmen. **

October 23, 1986: The residents of Vault 76 leave their home for twenty-seven years to resettle West Virginia, or 'Appalachia' as it was sometimes called. When they left the shelter, the vault dwellers fought their world had changed drastically**: **Irradiated snow everywhere, ruined vehicles and buildings, dead trees, and mutated animals. The vault door was sealed tight, so there was no going back. The residents settled down the hill from Vault 76- setting up tents and workbenches in and around large, fully intact wooden building or near the road (where the Overseer left her camp, a note, and a supply cache)- using the C.A.M.P, the Construction Assembly Mobile Platform, they would try to make a living in this nuclear wasteland.

Outside of the Vault, was the body of a woman- who was dead for no more than three or four days- with a note. She was part of a group called the "Responders" and was watching the Vault, waiting for it to open. The seventy-six residents went to the town of Flatwoods, to find supplies and anyone who may have survived out in the wastes, to find a large wall surrounding it and a gate at the center. On the bridge, right above the main gate, were people with guns. These were the residents of Flatwoods, the ones who were still alive, and the Responder Paramedics- a sec of the Responders who are trained for medical practices and teach people how to survive in the wastes- the vault dwellers were allowed in town, as the Overseer was here previously and they knew they weren't a threat. She had left a while ago, Vault Tec gave her a mission: Find the nuclear missile silos and secure them before anyone else does, while also leaving notes for her fellow dwellers.

Flatwoods showed how humanity had survived the apocalypse- people like Kesha McDermott showed survivors how to treat radiation in water and food, how to fight off infections, etc- and the Responders help whoever they can, wherever they can. Here the former-Vault 76 residents learned about the mutations- ghouls and the Scorched- that these people have to fend off daily. The seventy-six dwellers had divided opinions: Some wanted to help the Responders, others wanted to only work on building their settlement, and others wanted to go off exploring Appalachia. Without the Overseer, the people of seventy-six split into groups, or went out alone, who all had different goals. Only one resident followed the Overseer's trail to find and help her on her mission.

From the Overseer's childhood home, in Sutton, to Vault Tec University that one dweller followed the Overseer's path to Morgantown- where he/she found something(s) disturbing. At the University, the vault dweller discovered the truth about the Vaults- to experiment on human beings- but no evidence on the motives of Vault Tec for the experimentation. The Morgantown Airport, headquarters of the Responders, was in ruins: Tents on fire, bodies were everywhere. Inside, the Dweller found the body of Maria Chavez- the Responders leader- along information on the Scorched Beast, a bat-like mutant that was a carrier for the disease, and the Inoculation Program, a means of immunity to the virus.

Meanwhile, the other Vault 76 Residents traversed the wasteland: Helping the Responders and settlers, fighting raider gangs (like the Gourmands and Trappers), and uncovering forgotten secrets- including those involving the Crpytids (monsters of myth predating the Great War). One of the least known threats were the Children of the Wood, a cult who worshipped a being called the "Interloper" or "First Born of the Wood" and practiced human sacrifice. They operated in small groups, hidden in towns across West Virginia. No one truly knows what the "Interloper" is, those few who claim to have seen it- describe it as a cross between a plant root and a disfigured animal [At least that's what it looked like to me when I saw it.] sleeping beneath the earth. Travelers have also encountered strange mutant "people": Mole Miners (form of mole people that tend to live near or in caves and mine shafts), Ghouls (both feral and non-feral), and the Grafton Monster (a result of the Applacihia Wes-Tek FEV experiments).

The Resident helping the Overseer, aided the Responders with inoculating people against the Scorched Plague. But needed help from the Cutthroat Raiders, mainly their leader Rose, and the sesseconlist Free State, name says it all, and the Army survivors at Fort Defiance (no relation to the BOS) to help gather intel and resources for the Inoculation. Eventually, the project worked and they managed to make a vaccine for the Disease. The Responders worked to get this vaccine to everyone in Appalachia.

The Vault Dweller managed to locate the three nuclear silos, but lost the Overseer's trail, and was contacted by the remnants of the US military/gov called the Enclave- the same group of people who attacked the Morgantown Airport. The group who contacted the Dweller were rogue soldiers acting under orders from General Ellen Santiago, who secretly opposed the former Secretary of Agriculture/ now President Thomas Eckhart. After losing contact with the other Enclave outposts, Eckhart assumed total control as "President" and ordered the creation of the scorchbeasts and plague- by combining bat DNA, the FEV and a radioactive mineral called ultrasite (which explains the green lesions coming out of the Scorched bodies) - as a means to wipe out the "mutations" of the wasteland. Anyone who openly disagreed with him was killed. So Santiago and her followers worked in secret to secure the missile silos to eradicate the virus, however Eckhart also wanted the silos to ensure no can threaten the Enclave's plans.

The Vault Dweller and General Santiago worked together to take control of the Whitesprings bunker- the Enclave HQ in Appalachia- and capture or kill most of Eckhart's men. The rest and the "President" fled to the nuclear missile silos with the launch codes, intending to fire them and kill all the remaining wastelanders in the region. Santiago's forces pursued them in helicopters to each silo, where Thomas Eckhart was killed and the missiles were fired at the ultrasite fissures- where the scorchbeasts nested- with the intent to burn away the plague.

The plan worked, mostly: The Scorchbeast Queen crawled out from the fissures and had to be killed. After the queen was slain, the remaining scorchbeasts scattered across Appalachia, occasionally one was found and killed, thus ending the epidemic With the source of the plague destroyed and a vaccine spreading to the communities, Scorched numbers rapidly dropped, with only scattered pockets remaining. General Santiago and the Enclave traveled east, towards the ruins of D.C., to find the outpost there. Most of the raider gangs, save for the Cutthroats and small bands, were wiped out. It wasn't all good however; the nuclear detonations caused massive fires that would burn for months and high radiation levels for miles around, mole miners were forced to the surface- most fled the region, along with other creatures- putting many in conflict with the settlers. Add those with the nuclear winter, survival will be harder than it already is.

**(Wild Appalachia)**

Rumors spread of a unique cryptid called Sheepsquatch, many hunters have sought this creature. Some claim to have seen it, others say they've killed it, but it's unknown which are true and which are not.

**Three months later (Nuclear Winter DLC)**

The seventy-six residents struggled to live and settle in the nuclear holocaust. Fighting off disease, radiation sickness, starvation, raiders, mutants, and all kinds of other threats. Animals were scarce, few edible plants could grow in the irradiated snowy environment. They eventually found a radio signal coming from another vault, Vault 51, in the area.

People from all over Appalachia came to Vault 51- drifters, raiders, etc- answering the call of the vault's computer, ZAX, for a new overseer. Certain vaults were built in with special self operating computers to assist with the social experimentation, with unlimited funding and resources Vault Tec was able to create machinery thought up only in science fiction (like Pit-Boys) Contestants would fight in a bloody battle royale monitored by ZAX until there was only one left. This new overseer learned the fate of Vault 51's original occupants: The vault didn't have an overseer in the beginning, so the computer caused all sorts of chaos and death- restricting food access, instigating fights- to see who was "worthy" of being overseer. The result was the entire vault-population died. Upon learning this, the new "overseer" destroyed ZAX's main processor, killing it, but also causing permanent damage to several critical systems in Vault 51. It was left an uninhabitable shell, occasionally scavengers would salvage anything valuable.

At the same time, small groups of Vault 76 residents helped Vault's 94, 96, and 63- who were in numerous crises that needed help: Struggling to adapt to the wasteland, threats from hostile outsiders, etc.

**One year later (Wastelanders DLC) **

With most of the Scorched eliminated and word of a hidden treasure, people from outside the area were coming to Appalachia. The nuclear holocuast was worse elsewhere, like in Washington D.C., where heavy radiation leaves very little habitable land- and those few "safe zones" are fought over by desperate survivors. Two groups- the settlers of Foundation and a raider gang led by a woman named Meg- came to Appalachia to stake their claim, both in territory and the treasure.

The "treasure" is the remains of the United States gold supply, moved from Fort Knox to a vault in West Virginia for protection. It would slowly be introduced back into Appalachia, to build a new economy (or something close to one).

The ultimate fate of the wastelanders of Appalachia is unknown, either they built their own civilization or died out to the harsh post-apocalyptic world. Nothing is guaranteed in the nuclear wastes.

**Well here's the first chapter, I started with 76 as- chronologically- it takes place before all other fallout games. I tried not to make it too much like the actual game, for copyright reasons. Remember I don't own ANYTHING related to the franchise. **

**Extra info: Super Mutants are replaced with the Grafton Monsters, as the lore states Fallout 76 takes place before Super Mutants were created, but there in the game. This angered people I know, among other things about the game. Also, the Grafton Monster is bigger, stronger, more monstrous, and just a better design in mind opinion. **

**The soldiers at Fort Defiance are NOT a part of the Brotherhood of Steel: I found that the group in Appalachia was an unnecessary add on and wouldn't mind seeing a Fallout game without the BOS. I can understand that Elizabeth Taggerdy, the Appalachia chapter's leader, knew Roger Maxon and a reference is tolerable. But that's where it should end. **

**Also, you're probably wondering why there are no character dialogues in the writing, I'll give two reasons: 1) I'm not good at writing conversations, I try but it's usually not that good. **

**2) This fanfic is less of a story and more of a … explanation of an alternate version of a story- including timeline, environment, and other minor (but important details).**

**I put the setting in a nuclear winter... and I will explain why: During the Cold War, it was hypothesized that following a nuclear war, dramatic climate would cause an abnormal temperature change. Thus, a nuclear winter would occur, and is estimated to last a total of fifty years. **

** Fallout 76 takes place twenty-seven years after a nuclear war. I'm sure some of you can do the math and figure out the rest. **

**Lastly, I won't write out every update for Seventy-Six, because I want to move on to the other storylines, so chapter one is left open ended, as the fate of West Virginia is still unknown ( except for the folks at Bethesda Studios). **

**I'll update the next chapter as soon as possible. Hint… it takes place in California.**


	3. Chapter 2: New California

"**War, war never changes… (can't explain the historical powers, for copyright reasons) in the 20th Century, war was still waged over the influence of mankind- politics, society, and progress- for these reasons America and its allies would fight the USSR and other communist states. But war never changes: In 1958, the storm of world war had come again, in two brief hours most of the planet was reduced to ash. **

**A few survivors managed to find relative safety in large, underground vaults. Hundreds of families entered, safe and secure behind the giant steel door, under a mountain of stone... an entire generation has lived in Vault 13 with no knowledge of the outside world. Life in the vault is about to change."**

It was the year 2042 (one hundred- twenty years after the Great War), the Overseer of the vault, Jacoren, called a secret meeting of some of the residents to discuss an important matter; the vault's water purification chip broke and they needed another one. A group of Vault 13's best would venture outside of the vault to find a new water chip in the wasteland. There were four people qualified for the job: Albert Cole- popular and vocal member of the Vault 13 administration, with good diplomatic skills- would lead the exploration, Maxwell Stone- large, strong, and has experience in vault maintenance, despite his low IQ- would serve as the muscle, Natalia Dubrovhsky- agile, clever, but also with a record of theft of other people's (and vault) property- would consult on decision making and make use of her locksmith skills if needed, lastly there was another member (the protagonist 'Vault Dweller') whom was just an extra set of hands.

The exploration team was given enough food, water, and med supplies to last a few days as they would make their journey to another vault, Vault 15, for the chip. They were also given some weapons- pistols and batons- and vault security armor.

Exiting Vault 13, and the cave it was in, the group of dwellers traversed the hot, irradiated desert to Vault 15. Immediately, they suffered setbacks; they were attacked by a giant scorpion and a band wastelanders with black armor and spears, lost most of their supplies to the latter, plus Albert and Maxwell were killed (Cole was stabbed by the scorpion, Natiala from a spear to the chest, and Stone died from injuries he got from the scorpions and the raiders). The other Vault Dweller were able to make it a village, Shady Sands: There he (Vault Dweller's gender is male in canon) learned more about the "Wasteland", mutant animals, and the Raider tribes. With the help of some of the villagers, he made it to Vault 15. However, the vault was badly damaged and most of the computers and circuitry were destroyed, rusted, or chewed up by vermin. He would have to scour the entire region to find the water chip:

In Shady Sands, the Vault Dweller helped the locals fight off Radscorpions and the raider tribe, the Great Khans. The Khans were the most powerful raider band (at the time) either wiping out or driving other raiders away- like the Vipers and Jackals- and would demand tribute from the local tribes, migrate caravans, and settlements. They lorded over the area with an iron fist and destroyed anyone who opposed them, that was until the Vault Dweller arrived. The Khans kidnapped Tandi, the leader of Shady Sands' daughter, as retribution for the town's defiance. Vault Dweller led villagers to attack the Great Khan camp, rescue Tandi- and any Khan slave they found- and wiped out the gang and their leader, thus ending their reign of terror. Tandi would join her savior on his travels.

In Junktown, the Dweller helped fight off the Viper raiders, who sought to claim territory from the Khans. Destroying them entirely and the survivors scattering to the wind. Junktown was a small trading post that- mainly lived on trading scrap and other salvaged goods from the wastes. They didn't have a large enough force to fend off the large raiders gangs.

At the Hub, the Vault Dweller would find threats from outside, but within the city. The Hub was a large settlement with lots of wealth and resources, but was also well defended- not even the Khans attacked. The city was governed by a Merchant Council- made up of the large caravan companies that operate there (like Crimson Caravan, the Far Go Traders, and the Water Merchants)- over they are more interested in out competing each other, and thus the Hub is filled with crime and corruption. The people who really ran the town were the Circle of Thieves (a thieves guild) and the Skulz, led by Gizmo (not in Junktown). The Vault Dweller does help the people of the Hub by getting rid of the gangsters and their influence. He also helps in the investigation of missing caravans (that one is still the same as in the game).

At the Necropolis, a ruined city that folks avoid because the Ghoul inhabitants and where it gets its name, was where the Vault Dweller found the water control chip the vault needed. The "Dead City" was ruled by Set a Ghoul raider warlord with followers that outnumber the Great Khans. They made a deal with Super Mutants to raid Hub caravans in exchange for half the hull. The mutants were more interested in the people they captured, so Set's raiders got most of the loot. The muties also set up a base near an old vault- the purpose was unimportant to the Ghouls.

At the Boneyard, the Vault Dweller became involved in a turf war between two tribal- groups: The Blades and the Regulators. The Blades were people trying to survive, while the Regulators were ruthless mercenary/raiders who extorted the town of Adytum for ammo and supplies, in exchange for "protection". The Vault Dweller helped the Blades and Adytum defeat the Regulators. He also met other wasteland groups in the ruins of Los Angeles; the Gun Runners, Followers of the Apocalypse, and the Children of the Cathedral. The Dweller soon learned that the Children were in league with the Master.

Aided by the Brotherhood of Steel, the Followers of the Apocalypse, and his companions, the Master and his followers were defeated and the FEV vats used to create more mutants- at Mariposa- were destroyed. Most of the Vault Dweller's companions died or went back to live their lives. He returned to the vault, only to be exiled by the Overseer. From there he settled in Shady Sands, where he had become friends with the people. A few years later, people from the Vault came to the town. They informed him that the Overseer is dead, and they wanted him as the new one. He refused, but Vault 13 opened up fully to the post-nuclear world.

**Here it is, my version of Fallout 1. **

**You may be wondering why I put Gizmo's gang in the Hub instead of Junktown. Well Junktown is a small wasteland settlement- so it makes sense they would focus more on defending against raiders (Vipers)- and the Hub, being a large 'developed' city, would have organized crime. Also I thought a gang war in the post-apocalypse would be cool. **


	4. Interlude

Following the destruction of the Master and his Super Mutant army, the towns, settlements, and factions began coming together: Vault 13, Shady Sands, and Junktown formed a trial council with the help of the Followers of Apocalypse, salvaged tech from Vault 15, Brotherhood of Steel- who sought to recover and preserve pre-war knowledge and technology- to further relations, protection, and cooperation between the groups. The Brotherhood's technology and knowledge would begin to be reintroduced to the people, and with Followers aiding and educating more people, progress and sustainability was slowly beginning to be brought back to reality.

Ghouls that survived the destruction of the Necropolis and remnants of the Super Mutant army found refuge among these settlements, then elsewhere. Most mutants scattered in the wasteland and hunted by vengeful wastelanders. People like the Brotherhood believed in wiping out any and all mutated people, but others like the Vault Dweller and Arodesth worked against this- knowing that the mutants and ghouls didn't change by choice- and choose to help slowly integrate these refugees into wasteland society.

The region would later be known as New California.

Not everything was going smoothly: Raider gangs were looking to fill the void left by their rivals- like the Jackals, who were slowly becoming dominant with the Khans and Vipers gone- and new raider gangs were appearing- like the Skulz, who were driven out of the Hub and forced to raid caravans and travelers to survive. Also, rivalries between settlements and tribes were still a real concern, especially competition between Junktown and the Hub, who depended on trade to survive. To help keep peace in the lawless wasteland in between the towns, the Desert Rangers- a volunteer lawmen group- that would patrol the wastes and trade routes- was created. The Desert Rangers were made up of marksmen, scouts, trackers, and other skilled men and women who would help keep threats at bay **(think of NCR rangers without the ranger armor). **

Some people wanted to explore beyond the known territories, looking for other settlements or new resources. These scouts went south to the peninsula , north to the rest of California, and east to what remains of Nevada- to the west was the Pacific Ocean and wastelanders didn't have any sea-worthy vessels. In the ruins of San Francisco, lived the Shi; descendants of the Asian-Americans who survived the war and built their own society- isolated from the rest of the world- with technology the rivaled the Brotherhood of Steel. In the Mojave desert (Nevada); the area wasn't hit by the bombs- leaving many ruins were still intact and most of the land was not irradiated- and many tribals living there. Two important locations were Hoover Dam and New Vegas, the latter was built from the remains of Los Vegas. Vegas was run by an army of rehabilitated tribals- led by the mysterious Mr. House, who no one has ever seen- that secured a pre war dam, Hoover Dam, one of the largest sources of power in the west. Mr. House allowed most of the electricity, about 95%, to go to New California the rest went to his "Strip" and the "Three Families". Both the Brotherhood and the Followers of the Apocalypse worked to restore the dam, allowing settlements access to electricity after a century without it.

Ten years after the death of the Master (in 2053), competition between growing settlements, brahmin ranchers, and caravan merchants was at an all high and the Desert Rangers weren't enough… a more centralized union was needed. Yet it would not be the Vault Dweller or Arodesh, but Arodesh's daughter Tandi, who would draft a constitution that united the region under a new banner; the New California Republic (or NCR). The Republic was based on the pre-war USA- both Federal and State gov't, Federal government is divided into three branches (Executive, Legislative, and Judicial), etc.- and would try to build a prosperous future for their people. Most of southern New California joined the NCR happily, even the Hub, however New Vegas- and most of the Mojave- and the Shi remained independent and had the strength to maintain it. The Desert Rangers were reformed into the NCR Rangers, elite scouts and commandos that fought raiders, slavers, and the like outside of NCR borders- their authority only limited at the border of independent settlements- and also served a special forces role. Veteran NCR Rangers were the most experienced of the group, they were sent on top secret missions or protected the president and other important leadership.

President Tandi made the NCR a strong and proud society in the Wasteland, forming a standing army to protect the people from outside threats, the progress and industry to build new (and old) technology, and many other achievements. However, near the end of President Tandi's life, corruption began to seep into the government- caravan companies and 'brahmin barons' bought off members of Congress. When Tandi died, around the 2080's, the NCR began an imperialistic campaign of expansion north to the rest of California and east to Mojave- annexing settlements and forcing them into their system. The Shi and the New Vegas Strip- through their military strength and wealth- were able to maintain their sovereignty.

The Followers of the Apocalypse opposed this strategy and would work to discredit the New California Republic, the Brotherhood of Steel benefited from the NCR's aggressive expansion. The more secure territory made it easier for BOS expeditions to look for pre-war technology, occasionally the NCR military would aid the Brotherhood… vice versa.

The NCR expansion would ignite conflict with numerous tribes and settlements. How long before this becomes too much for the New California Republic.


	5. Chapter 3: New California Part II

**Note: the protagonist in this chapter is very different, origin wise, than the Chosen One from Fallout 2. However he- canonically, gender is male like in Fallout 1- is still descendant from the Vault Dweller, though he doesn't know it.**

**Before you ask, I chose their canon genders so I didn't have to decide between male or female. **

On the outskirts of the ruined city of San Francisco, a group of soldiers in power armor arrived in an unknown vehicle. Some wastelanders from the ruined city tried to make contact with them, only to be gunned down by a storm of bullets. The last thing anyone saw were two large, emotionless eyes on the power armor helmets.

In 2122, the New California Republic- a demoratic wasteland state based on the pre war United States- was at war with an army of Raiders on its northern border. The raiders were less of an "army" and more of a coalition of raider tribes and gangs that were hostile to the NCR's expansion, they waged a guerilla war against the latter- not just attacking trade routes, caravans, and military patrols, and raiding NCR towns near the border- and were weakening the Republic's hold on the the northern frontier.

The NCR military went on the offensive, aiming to take out Raider strongholds and leadership- sending whole companies of soldiers against the enemy. One unit, fresh out of training, was sent to reinforce the siege of one of the raider villages near the tribal territories.

The attack went on for two days; the raiders were well dug in and armed with heavy machine guns and missile launchers, the NCR sent in heavy troopers wearing T-45 Power Armor (do to their alliance and good relations with the Brotherhood of Steel, the NCR was able to get their hands on older model power armor suits. While the Brotherhood kept all T-51 series suits).

With infantry reinforcements, the NCR forces attempted to break the enemy lines. They failed and all the NCR troopers were killed, except for one. The Raiders took the power armor, weapons, and anything valuable off the dead troopers and through the bodies in a pit for caran feeders to pick over the remains. Scouts from another tribe, to the north, came in and searched the bodies and found one survivor. Barely alive, they dragged him back to the Arroyo Canyon.

This surviving soldier was unconscious for days. When he awoke, he found himself in a tribal village. This village was hidden within the Arroyo Canyon, safe from outside dangers and having little contact with the rest of the world, and the Soldier (protangatist) didn't where in the wasteland he was. He tried asking the village elders for directions, however they spoke mainly in riddles and he would have to pass a series of trials to get the answers. With no way back to NCR territory, he agreed. The trials took place in a sacred temple- a pre-war ruin overgrown with vines- where he was tested both mentally and physically. He passed the trials and found pre-war navigation equipment-a compass and an old map- the soldier also saw a vision- of sorts- of a man who looked like him, but with a Vault 13 jumpsuit.

When he returned, the elders explained that those trials were to see if the outsider was trustworthy and they needed his help. The worst drought in years had hit the area, killing the animals and edible plants there and they needed to leave the canyon. The tools the Soldier acquired from the temple would be needed to safely navigate out of Arroyo, away from the dangerous predators and raider groups.

The tribe made it out of the canyon without any deaths and set off to find a new home. The Soldier set off to the trading post Klamath, where tribal people met with traders from more 'civilized' towns. In Klamath, the Soldier learned of the Raider's influence on the Northern Wastes. Without NCR help, he'd have to cripple the Raiders to stop the killing of NCR soldiers. He would have the help of followers who joined him on his mission, like Sulik- the tribal in Klamath- and Marcus- the super mutant sheriff from Broken hills. The Raider army had a presence in numerous settlements and cities in northern New California:

In the town called the "Den"; crime and poverty reined, different gangs ruled the place. On the top was the Slaver Guild, led by Metzger, who supplied the Raiders with forced labor and conscripts to fill their ranks. The Guild had many enemies in the Den, and the Soldier worked with these gangs- like Lara's gang- to kill their leader and destroy their operations.

Vault City, a city-state founded the former inhabitants of Vault 8 and one of the most advanced settlements in New California, were facing threats from the Raiders. Not only did Vault City have advanced technology, they were also growing- both in influence and wealth- in power and other political powers wanted a piece of pie. The NCR and New Reno both offered alliances and trade deals with the governing body of Vault City, City Counsel and the First Citizen, but it didn't work. Vault City was being harassed by raiders, attacking caravans and the Courtyard (where the non citizens live). The NCR has offered to help if they join, Vault City refused.

The Soldier posed as a mercenary for hire and worked with the VC guards to investigate the raider attacks. The investigation led to the discovery of documents and contracts between mercenaries, pretending to be raiders, and NCR agents trying to pressure the Vault City Council into joining the Republic. He handed the evidence over to Sergeant Stark, Vault City would later spread knowledge of the conspiracy across the Big Circle- a trade route through/and around northern New California. The Soldier also helped with the irradiated water and reactor trouble at the ghoul settlement, Gecko.

At the large city of Redding (a large mining and ranching town), the town's mayor- Ascorti (who was sleazy)- was making deals with corrupt NCR politicians, New Reno mobsters, and the Raiders. They were also in a struggle with Vault City trying to annex their city, everyone wants access to the gold mines.

New Reno, a city of vize- drugs, prositution, gambling- and was "governed" by the large mob families that have a hand in all criminal activity in the wasteland. These families include the Bishops, Wrights, Mordinios and others. The Families sold weapons and chems to the Raiders, they also had a… distaste for the NCR laws and Rangers that interfered with their business dealings. Each mob family were rivals with the other, the Soldier merly escalated the tension- killing mobsters, disrupting drug deals and making it look like the other families did it. This led to conflict within New Reno and hurting the Raider supply line even more. He also found evidence of dealings between NCR Congressmen and the Bishop Family.

On the war front, the NCR was pushing the Raider forces further than before. Lacking in supplies and weapons, the Raiders were forced on the defensive.

The Soldier and his companions were found by an NCR military caravan and brought to the capital city. Reporting to the military command- who were informed about the Soldier's work against the Raider's supply lines- where he was made into a NCR Ranger, bypassing regulation due to his actions in the war. The Soldier gave the evidence he acquired in New Reno to a reporter in NCR City, the government was currently corrupt and influenced by merchant companies and so-called "brahmin barons" (very wealthy ranchers). Later that day, a terrorist attack occurred near the congress building. The attackers had advanced weapons, power armor and an air vehicle similar to the pre war helicopter. The Soldier, aided by police, was able to kill the attackers, though the vehicle escaped.

The attacker's power armor suits had on board computers, which allowed technicians to learn about these people: The "Enclave" have conducted similar attacks across the wastes, kidnapping or killing people. But the data didn't say where they came from or what their ultimate plan was. The Soldier was ordered to find and stop the Enclave, along with aiding the fight against the Raiders.

Since his time at Arroyo, the Soldier has been having visions of the man in a vault-suit. He asked his mother, who lived in NCR City, about their family history. She only knew that her grandparents came from Vault 13. Within the Vault 13 computers he found files linking the original Vault Dweller to his family, making him the Soldier's great-grandfather.

Reports showed some unusual characters being spotted at the abandoned Vault 15, convinced it was Enclave, the- now Ranger- Soldier was sent to investigate. At the vault, he found it- and the area around the vault- was inhabited by squatters. These people lost their homes and land to wealthy ranchers or to high taxes after their land was annexed by the New California Republic. The town, called Squat, and Vault 15 was also home to sentient deathclaws. These "Talking Deathclaws" were created by the Enclave- after a clutch of eggs was exposed to the Forced Evolutionary Virus- to be obedient soldiers, but instead escaped and left to found their community. They were mild mannered and surprisingly good conversationalists, and they also were willing to coexist with humans, as long they weren't hostile. The pack-leader of the deathclaws- named Gruthar- told the Soldier about their history with the Enclave and where he may find them, if he kept the packs existence a secret. The Soldier promised, and was told about the Navarro outpost and a pre-war military base to the northwest. The Albino Deathclaw scholar, Gorris, joins the Soldier's companions.

The (Mariposa) Military Base: The NCR had files on the base, called Mariposa, but were sealed by President Tandi (including those involving the FEV). What was known about it was the pre-war American Government conducted unethical experiments there, no details though. At the base, the Soldier found ruined tents, abandoned equipment, and a blocked tunnel dug open. Inside, he found Super Mutants and dead Enclave personnel. One of them had a tape on them, explaining that they were there to collect and study the strains of Forced Evolutionary Virus. But the workers- who were kidnapped wastelanders- were mutated and forced the Enclave to retreat. This lead went nowhere. The Soldier would go to the base Navarro near old San Francisco, which was home to the Shi.

In the ruins of the old San Francisco were home to multiple groups of survivors, the most dominant of them were the Shi. The Shi were the descendants of Asian- Americans who survived the Great War and held onto their heritages, Chinese and Japanese traditions merged into the imperial Shi culture. They have developed their own society and technology, with little contact with the outside world. Before the New California Republic was formed, The Shi fended off attacks from raiders and tribals, making them wary of outsiders. At first they and the NCR had good relations at first, however as the Republic became imperialistic- the two nations became bitter. Shi were being bullied into submission, they joined the Raider coalition, the Shi's tech and skilled warriors provided an edge. The soldier- disguised as a traveling merchant- would enter San Francisco's Chinatown and try to find a way to break the alliance between the Shi and Raiders, while also finding a way to Navarro.

The Soldier discovered the Hubologists, a cult in a power struggle with the Shi, were selling kidnapped Shi citizens to the Raiders as slaves for caps, supplies, tools, etc. This evidence would end the Shi/Raider alliance, the Soldier brought the proof to the Shi Emperor- which was a salvaged pre-war computer- and his advisor- who really led the Shi faction. The Shi military would betray their Raider "allies" and it was then that the Soldier learned that Enclave kidnapped people from the San Francisco ruins. The Shi would lead the Soldier to the fort where the leaders of the Raider Army were. The leaders of the Raiders were descended from the surviving Khans, those that survived the destruction of the tribe. The Soldier destroyed the new Khans, as his ancestor did with the old Khans.

A team of NCR Rangers were spying on Navarro, when the Soldier arrived the team explained their plan; sneak into the base, steal any information and tech without being detected. The Rangers posed as recruits for the Enclave and were able to not only schematics for the vertibird, but also the location of their main base- an oil rig in the middle of the ocean- along with other data. The NCR's next move was to assault the Enclave's control rig.

**(The events with the Vagrants, Enclave Rig, and Frank Horrigan happen the same as in game. Not worth mentioning.) **

(chapter) Epilogue: The destruction of the Enclave removed the greatest threat to the Wastes seen in decades. The Soldier was recognized as a hero of all of New California, like his great- grandfather was. His actions, though not his name, would be remembered in the years to come. His ultimate fate is unknown.

Without the leadership of the Khans or needed support; the Raiders surrendered to the NCR military, ending the threat of raiders in the north… for now. Congressman Roger Westin becomes President of the New California Republic after being elected into office. Though his term is short, due to heart problems, he made pushes to end NCR imperialism and corruption within the government. President Westin's term ended within a year, but union and protest groups were inspired to push for reformation with the NCR. It took years, but the wealthy merchants and landowners lost influence in politics. The New California Republic would develop better relations with other wasteland factions.

The Enclave attacked and destroyed most of the deathclaws and squatters at Vault 15, some of the children, deathclaw eggs and hatchlings survived. They were found by NCR troopers, the intelligent deathclaws would survive as a species.

Vault City would continue to grow and expand, developing trade relations with the NCR in the following years, annexing GECKO- for the nuclear plant- and making its populace under their "protection". They would set their sights on the Redding gold mines.

Redding would remain as it is, a ranching and mining city, but would struggle to remain independent of Vault City.

The tribe from Arroyo settled in a new area and rebuilt their way of life, they flourished for years to come.

**Author's Note: This chapter took awhile, I hope you like it. I'll be taking a break for a bit. Fall is arriving which means school, yeah, so I may/may not post new content… who knows? **

**Also, you may have noticed how I explained the NCR. There's no political meaning behind this, I just thought it would be interesting. Let me just point out two things here; I'm the author, so I write what I want. And, this alternate version of Fallout- don't own anything, Bethesda does- so things are going to be different. **

**Have a good day my readers!**


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